Celebrity News

Some Trump supporters are pissed the President got so little airtime at the NBA Finals compared to stars at MSG -- and it turns out that wasn't an accident.

Here's the deal ... DT made history as the first sitting prez to attend the Finals last night -- but was only shown on ESPN twice ... and one of those times he was mercilessly booed. Meanwhile, celebs like Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Timothée Chalamet, Tina Fey, Fat Joe, and Larry David got plenty of network love.

ESPN sources tell TMZ ... Trump got due attention for this historical moment ... but he was also in a bulletproof box -- which ain't as easy to film as all the stars sitting courtside.

Michael Jackson's infamous criminal trial is back in the spotlight thanks to a new Netflix documentary ... and it's apparently stirred up some strong feelings among die-hard MJ fans, who are allegedly threatening one of the trial's central figures.

Ron Zonen, the lead prosecutor in Michael's 2005 trial, joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday and told us he's received a handful of threats since appearing in the new Netflix doc, "Michael Jackson: The Verdict."

Ron says the threats are coming in over email ... and it's bringing him back to 2005, when he says he faced similar backlash.

Alan Jackson's down to jump back on the case as Nick Reiner's lawyer ... but there's a financial holdup ... and he tells us that's why Nick's petitioning for access to his trust fund money.

The famed defense lawyer joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday after Nick asked the court to give him the money he says he's owed from the trust fund Rob and Michele Reiner set up for him and his siblings.

Alan said it's "wildly unfair" that the money is being held back from Nick, because it's the trustee's duty to make sure Nick gets his payout. He noted ... "That is Nick's money."

Avery Wilson has no issue with President Trump being mercilessly booed at the NBA Finals while he sang the national anthem -- but his feelings have nothing to do with politics!

Avery tells TMZ ... it was an instant pop culture moment ... and that's all he really cares about -- because his fantastic rendition of the anthem is all over social media today.

As you know ... a chorus of MSG boos rained down for DT during game 3 while the Broadway star performed ... Trump told reporters afterward he heard plenty of cheers, too.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's daughter Zahara is making moves in court to officially drop her famous dad's last name amid their estrangement ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ obtained a petition Zahara filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, where she asked for her new legal name to be "Zahara Marley Jolie."

The 18-year-old did not provide any reasoning in her paperwork, but she has not been close to her dad in years. Zahara hasn't been using Brad's last name for a while now, but it now appears she wants the change to be legal. In Touch was the first to report the news.

Nick Reiner wants the money he says he's owed from the trust his parents Rob and Michele Reiner set up for him ... as he awaits trial for their murders.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the 32-year-old filed a petition Monday, requesting the distribution of money he says was supposed to be paid out from the trust when he turned 30.

Nick said he tried to hire lawyer Alan Jackson to help him fight the murder charges, which he says his siblings Jake and Romy agreed to. He claims the trustee refused to pay Jackson which caused him to depart the case.

Lenny Hochstein plans to use video footage, text messages and other evidence he says paint a dramatically different picture than the one described in a sexual assault lawsuit against him ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ has obtained video the 'Real Housewives of Miami' star's lawyer says was recorded shortly after the alleged incident ... showing his accuser leaving his Miami mansion smiling, chatting with him, and appearing completely at ease.

In the footage, the woman -- who alleges he drugged and sexually assaulted her at his Star Island home -- appears to do a little dance outside the front door before walking to an Uber.

Hochstein's lawyer, Lorne Berkeley, tells TMZ ... "Dr. Hochstein categorically denies the allegations asserted against him. We possess evidence that we believe materially contradicts the claims and evidence that will be presented in the appropriate legal forum."

YouTuber Jesse Ridgway claims his wife Ashley's family is not supporting her after the couple ended their pregnancy because their unborn child had Down syndrome ... and he says some of his in-laws are allegedly kicking her while she's down.

Jesse ripped Ashley's family in a social media post Tuesday, saying they are "nowhere to be found" at a time when she needs love and support.

What's more, Jesse claims some of his in-laws are even joining in on the public backlash against them.

Michelle Williams is finally setting the record straight on one of Destiny's Child's most infamous interviews ... insisting the group wasn't high -- they were just flat-out exhausted.

Michelle went on the "Baby, This is Keke Palmer" podcast and addressed the viral 2001 interview that's had fans convinced for years they were under the influence.

According to Michelle, there wasn't a single substance involved ... just a brutal case of jet lag.

Michelle explained the group was running on fumes when they sat down for the interview, leaving them tired, loopy, and a little delirious ... but definitely not stoned.

Nick Reiner says he not only needs money to pay lawyers for his legal defense, but also to fund his commissary account ... and the accused double murderer claims his trustee isn't playing ball.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Nick says he's repeatedly asked the trustee controlling his money to replenish his jailhouse account to buy additional snacks and hygiene items ... but he says the trustee has yet to break him off a little bread.

The commissary gripe is included in a petition filed Monday by the 32-year-old, requesting the distribution of money he says was supposed to be paid out from the trust his parents Rob and Michele Reiner set up for him in 1992.

Nick claims he was supposed to get the money when he turned 30, and he wants the funds to hire back Alan Jackson as his lawyer ... and also to get some stuff from the commissary while he sits in jail.

Nick Reiner's former lawyer, Alan Jackson, is ready to take on the alleged murderer's case, but he says drama over how he and his firm would get paid led to him dropping the case several months ago.

Alan filed a declaration that was submitted with Reiner's motion seeking release of his trust funds ... in it, he describes what he says went down behind the scenes that led to his law firm withdrawing from Nick's criminal case.

As TMZ previously reported, Alan was hired in December 2025 to defend Nick in court after he was charged with the murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner. Alan and his firm withdrew from the case weeks later, and a public defender was then assigned to Nick's case.

In his newly filed declaration, Alan says Nick told him he wants his firm back representing him. Alan said he is willing and ready to defend Nick if funding becomes available.

10:04 AM PT -- Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson, tells TMZ ... “President Trump made history as the first sitting President to attend an NBA Finals game. The President watched every moment of a highly competitive, entertaining contest from James Dolan’s suite, joined by talented members of his Cabinet. Anyone ridiculously claiming the President was asleep is either lying or has severe brain damage.”

Donald Trump came to the NBA Finals hoping to watch the Knicks take a commanding 3-0 series lead ... but by the end of the night, he seemed to be ready for a nap instead.

The president's visit to Madison Square Garden on Monday was a spectacle from the jump. When Trump appeared on the arena's video boards before Game 3, a loud chorus of boos rained down from the crowd -- instantly turning the commander-in-chief into one of the night's biggest storylines.

Social media later erupted after cameras appeared to catch Trump with his eyes closed in his luxury suite, seated beside Knicks owner James Dolan and granddaughter Kai Trump ... prompting plenty of jokes about the 79-year-old nodding off while the Knicks were fighting to stay perfect in the series.

Todd and Julie Chrisley claim the people who were supposed to keep them out of prison are the very reason they ended up behind bars ... and now they're suing them.

The reality TV stars filed a lawsuit against their former lawyer, Chris Anulewicz, and the law firm Balch & Bingham, claiming a massive mistake in their federal fraud case paved the way for their convictions.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the Chrisleys say their attorneys missed a key opportunity to keep some of the government's most important evidence out of court.

According to the suit, the "Chrisley Knows Best" stars say they believe the entire case grew out of an illegal warehouse search years before they were indicted.

Their lawyers successfully got some of that material thrown out after convincing the judge the search was illegal ... but Todd and Julie claim the legal team never went after the emails, bank records and other evidence investigators found because of that search.

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been hit with a new lawsuit ... this time from a man who claims Diddy sexually assaulted him when he was a minor under the guise of helping his acting career.

In court docs, obtained by TMZ, a man suing as a John Doe said he was already a working child actor when invited to a Hollywood Hills party in 2007 as a networking event ... which is when he says he met Diddy. The man says the rapper invited him to talk in private about career opportunities.

Once alone, according to the docs, the man claims Diddy was rubbing on parts of his body, working his way down before he allegedly performed oral sex on the man while also pleasuring himself. The man claims he told Diddy the situation was making him uncomfortable before the oral sex.

Joshua Bassett says fame came with a dark side he never saw coming ... revealing his substance abuse spiraled so badly at one point, he believes he shouldn't have survived it.

In an appearance on the "More Life with Carl Radke" podcast, the former Disney star gets brutally honest about a chapter of his life that was happening behind the scenes while his career was taking off.

Joshua says things reached a breaking point when he was 23, admitting ... "It should have killed me, the level of substance."

9:27 AM PT -- Stephen A. Smith clapped back at President Trump for seemingly falling asleep during game 3 of the NBA Finals -- saying, "Didn't you call out former President Joe Biden, 'Sleepy Joe'? Well, what should we call you?”

President Trump is pouring cold water on Stephen A. Smith's possible aspirations to ascend to the White House, saying he doesn't have the "IQ" or the "aptitude" to become commander-in-chief.

Trump's vicious remarks came during a press gaggle late Monday night in NYC, before he boarded Air Force One to fly back to D.C. after watching Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs. 

Check out the clip ... a reporter first tells Trump that Smith -- a famous sports commentator -- has been talking about running for president and that he would blame Trump if the Knicks lost to the Spurs (the Spurs ended up beating the Knicks 115-111.)